Dan Peterson, one of the original members and the most sought-after spokesperson at Chippendales in the 80’s, reveals how he ended up at Chippendales during a short conversation with Daniel Johnston in 1984. Chippendales is a popular male dance club founded by Steve (Somen) Banerjee, an entrepreneur, in 1979. Chippendales has become an icon in change for women of the 80’s. A place where they can come and have fun without feeling judged.
In a 1984 interview with Daniel Johnston, he wrote about the fan-Mina called Chippendales. The following interview reveals how Dan Peterson (Mr. Chippendales) began his career at Chippendales and became the iconic face of Chippendales.
Following interview is Daniel Johnston’s interview with Chippendales, and Dan Peterson.
“I didn’t expect to find someone with an IQ of 150 working at a male exotic dance club. But it was true. I found myself in a conversation with Steve (Somen) Banerjee, the owner of Chippendales. He was frank with us about how he has worked with Dan Peterson, his boy genius to become a more social person and not trying to analyze everything. They seemed to have a good relationship with mutual respect. Steve said that Dan had a great mind but didn’t know his value as a sex symbol. Steve has used Dan in several of his marketing ventures and has called him “The face of Chippendales.” Steve told us that Dan has that look that all the women want and all the men envy, and yet he doesn’t know it. His parents are very nice and quiet, and Dan grew up in a small town outside of Los Angeles, Thousand Oaks.”

“We reached out to his High School principal to see if he remembered anything special about Dan. Mr. Barney: “Dan was a character. He loved to debate issues that he found didn’t fit into his schedule. I remember one issue where he didn’t feel he needed to do homework if he could get an “A” on the test. His argument was that homework was to learn for tests, and if you could get an “A” on the test without doing the homework, it was a mute point.” Dan was a good athlete and competed in several sports.”

We asked Dan how he felt about working at Chippendales and how he ended up there. He responded with a laugh. “I would never have even imagined working here. It was not in my agenda, but sometimes you have to be open enough to go with the flow, and that was not my personality.” He told us that he was able to travel for Chippendales to appear on hundreds of talk shows around the country. “I love the ability to talk to people with different backgrounds and different opinions. It opened up my closed mind, understanding that we are all different, we all come from a different point of view, and the ability to see that and to understand helps me navigate through this time of life”. Steve and I get along pretty well. We often have dinners at a local cafe, and I think we have broached almost every subject. It is interesting talking to someone that grew up in India. Steve has big plans for Chippendales. It is his life 24/7, and I think he has done a great job so far.

About Dan Peterson
Dan Peterson Chippendale is the original member of Chippendales, a popular male celebrity in the 80’s. He is well known as the face of Chippendales and became more popular after his face appeared on the Chippendales calendars. Dan Peterson is now a successful photographer and considered one of the best photographers in California and New York. His company, Dan Peterson photography, specializes in fashion and commercial photography projects. For more information about Dan Peterson, please follow his Instagram profile @danpetersonphotography or visit www.danpeterson.com.
Contact:
Dan Peterson
[email protected]
Cell: 818 321 - 1441
Studio: 818 707 - 1238